(Phnom Penh): From 5:04 a.m. on the morning of 8 December 2025, the long-quiet stretch of the Cambodia–Thailand border once again erupted. The harsh roar of Thai F-16 fighter jets, the blasts of artillery and mortars, the rattle of small-arms fire, tanks, armored vehicles, and even poison gas shells—driven by a ravenous ambition to seize Cambodian land—fell relentlessly onto Cambodian territory and civilian villages, causing deaths and injuries.
Monks, schoolchildren, teachers, and villagers ran in panic, desperately seeking shelter. The sound of explosions coming first from the Thai side onto Cambodian soil was neither an accident nor an isolated incident. It was a calculated escalation. This wave of armed aggression began the day before, on 7 December, starting at 2:15 p.m. and again at 8:36 p.m., when Thai forces opened fire repeatedly on Cambodian positions in “Prolean Thmor” area of Choam Ksan district, Preah Vihear province.
The President of the Senate of the Kingdom of Cambodia, Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, has urged restraint as Thailand attempts to undermine the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement, but has warned that Cambodia’s red lines must not be crossed.
This disciplined and warning-laden message is not a sign of weakness; it is Cambodia’s strategic posture. It is designed to avoid falling into Thailand’s provocations, which are aimed at reigniting conflict in order to dismantle the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement.
Cambodia remains firmly committed to the accord signed on 26 October 2025, witnessed by U.S. President Donald Trump and former ASEAN Chair Anwar Ibrahim. However, the call for soldiers to maintain restraint is framed within a clearly defined “red line”—a line that Thailand is not permitted to cross.
International Media Confirm: Thailand Attacked Cambodia First
As Thailand escalated its attacks—from small-arms fire to tanks, heavy artillery, F-16 airstrikes, and the use of poison gas—major international media outlets began reporting that Thailand was the side that initiated the aggression against Cambodia, contradicting claims by the government in Bangkok, which has attempted to shift blame onto Cambodia.
U.S.-based broadcaster CNN ran a prominent headline on the morning of 8 December, stating:
“Thailand launches air attacks on Cambodia as border tensions explode, threatening the U.S.-brokered peace deal.”
News agencies Reuters, AP, Al Jazeera, and The Guardian carried similar stories, confirming that the heavy attacks were initiated by Thailand. Their reports are based on concrete evidence and a detailed timeline provided by Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defense.
Despite this, the Thai Ministry of Defense and Thai armed forces have tried to mislead public opinion by accusing Cambodia of “firing first.” But so far, Thailand has presented no credible evidence capable of convincing the international community.
International Analysis: Thailand Is “Resetting the Battlefield” to Serve Political Ambitions
Analyses by CNN and other major newspapers have noted that Thailand appears to be trying to “reset the battlefield” to pursue broader political and strategic objectives that go far beyond ordinary border skirmishes.
In this context, Thailand’s aggression is closely tied to nationalist sentiment inside the country—especially among certain political factions—that seek to reclaim ancient Khmer temple sites and culturally significant areas along the border, even though these territories have already been clearly recognized, time and again, by:
- Legally valid maps accepted by the United Nations,
- International law, and
- The broader international community as belonging to Cambodia.
Thailand’s True Objective: Seizing Cambodian Land and Ancient Khmer Temples
Reports indicate that Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, during national security meetings with senior Thai military officials, issued directives ordering the armed forces to “fight until the end” and to “retake land that Thailand considers its own.”
To fulfil this ambition, eleven locations along the border have reportedly been designated as strategic targets. These include several ancient Khmer temples, such as:
- Khnar Temple
- Ta Krabey Temple
- Preah Vihear Temple
All of these areas are internationally recognized as Cambodian territory. They fall under the Franco–Siamese 1904–1907 maps and the 1962 and 2013 judgments of the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Yet Thailand is now clearly signalling that it has never fully accepted these decisions. Instead, it has fostered false historical narratives, feeding Thai nationalist sentiment and persuading parts of its population that these ancient Khmer cultural sites belong to Thailand.
This is the ideological framework of extremist Thai nationalism—one that has driven and is continuing to drive conflict along the Cambodia–Thailand border, and has emboldened Thailand to violate the ceasefire and the Kuala Lumpur Peace Agreement, even in the presence of witnesses such as U.S. President Donald Trump and former ASEAN Chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Conclusion
In the face of Thailand’s reckless military aggression, Cambodia has demonstrated to the world an exceptional level of restraint and a firm commitment to the peace agreement. However, such restraint is not unlimited.
Cambodia’s patience has a clearly defined boundary: a line that Thailand must not cross in its attempts to undermine peace or encroach upon Cambodia’s sovereign territory.
Cambodia continues to respect the ceasefire and the Kuala Lumpur Joint Peace Statement—not out of fear, but out of principle and a deep national commitment to preserve peace under international law. Yet one truth must be stated clearly: Cambodia will not allow any country—including Thailand—to seize its land or its priceless cultural heritage under the guise of aggression or manipulated history.
All ancient Khmer temples—Preah Vihear, Ta Krabey, Khnar—and all lands along the Cambodia–Thailand border that have been recognized under international law and reaffirmed by the ICJ in 1962 and 2013, are integral parts of Cambodia’s sovereign territory. These sacred sites and historic lands will be defended decisively—not out of hostility, but out of duty to the nation, to its heritage, and to the principles of international justice.
Thailand may choose weapons—but Cambodia chooses the law.
Thailand may choose threats—but Cambodia stands on legitimacy.
Thailand may violate agreements—but Cambodia stands firm on territory, history, and truth.
Peace can and will be preserved—but it will never be exploited as a license for anyone to violate Cambodian territory.
Cambodia’s restraint has limits; and that limit is the sovereignty of Cambodian soil.
